Elevated railroad



No ModeL) L. O. -ROOT. ELEVATED RAILROAD.

N PETERS, Plwminhugrapnen washmgm. D. C.

4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

mog@ WM@ Attorneys (No Modem 4 sheets-sheet 2.

.L. 0. ROOT. BLBVATED RAILROAD.

No. 315,555. Patented Apr. 14, 1885.

(N0 ModeL) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

L. o. ROOT.

ELEVATED RAILROAD. V No. 315,555. ,Patented Ap1-.14, 1885..

.Attorneys WI TNESSES N PCYLHS' Pwmmnompmn wn nnnnnnnnnnn c.

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(No Model.)

L. 0. ROOT.

ELEVATED RAILROAD.

Patented Apr.l 14

UNITEDSTATES] PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE oDELL Boor, 0E MINNEAroLIs,'MINNEso'rA ELEvATL-:o RAILROAD.

A SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 315,555. dated April14, 1885.

Application filed September 30,'184. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, V may concern:

Be it known that I, LAWRENCE O. Boor, a

useful Improvement in Elevated Railroads, of which the following is aspecication, reference being had to the accompanying drawlngs. A

My invention relates to an elevated railroad designed for use as asource of amusement and i pleasure; and it consists in the constructionyand combinations of parts hereinafter jfully y f the point where thetrack enters the station,

described, and pointed out in the claims.h

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section showing myimproved track and the means for operating the cars thereon. Fig. 2 is aview ofthe car employed, showing the means for drawing the same to thetop of the incline. Fig. 3 is a plan view taken at one end of the line;and Fig. 4 isa rear elevation of a car.A Y

In the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of referenceindicate correspond-V ing parts in all the figures, A Afrepresents twotowers or stations, one of which, A,is shown arranged upon a hill orheight of ground,`

while the other is supported at an elevation on uprights. These stationsare located any desired distance apart, and the one supported onluprights is provided with steps leading to the There are two tracks, BB', connecting said stations,said tracks being sup-` ported upon atrestle-work, C, and are pro-H vided with beams or guard-rails runningtheir top of the same.

entire'y length to prevent the cars while in transit from jumping thetrack; The tracks B B are provided withl two veryusteep descents, a,from the point where they leave the towers A A. At the end of thesedescents or inclines they reach a short level, and from4 this point thetracks gradually incline in oppo-L site directionsvtoward the'oppositestations. At each station A A is arranged a turntable, D, by which a carmay be shifted fromV one track to the other. rlhese turn-tables D arepivotedV to the door of the stations y by means of a bolt, b, upon whichis awasher, c, said washer being arranged between the under side of theturn-table and the door to which it is pivoted. `Upon theunder side ofthe turntable are arranged rollers e, a portion of each of which bear orrest in recesses on the under side of the turn-tables D, the ends of theshafts of said rollers bearing in bracketssecured upon the under side ofthe turn-tables.

lever, g, is secured to each of the turn-tables at any suitable point.It will thus Abeseen that by the arrangement shown and described thetables may be turned with but little power 6o or exertion.

I have mentioned that there were guardrails to prevent the cars fromjumpingthe track. These guard-rails are arranged between the two railscomposing the track. At

which point is adjacent to the turn-table, is provided a drum, E, theshaft of lwhich has bearing in the guard rails or beams. One end of thisshaft of the drum E extends through 7o and beyond the outer track, andis provided at its end, which is squared, with a crank oroperating-handle, f.

Upon the shaft of the drum E, just outside 1 A short distance down thetrack toward the 8 5 oppsite station is an arm or lever, Z, whichispivoted to the inner side:` of the outer guardrail.` A The lower end ofthis arm or lever extends below the track-bed, while the otheror upperend extends a slight distance above the 9o top of the rails. A rod, m,connects the lower end of this arm or lever with the lower end of thepivotedpawl. It will thus be seen that should the upper end of thepivoted lever be pushed toward the said pawl it will, through the mediumof the connecting-rod, raise the lower end of the pawl from engagementwith the ratchet-disk;` Between the`.guardrails,` about sixty-five feetfrom the fdrumE, is mounted a drum, n.

the drum E, and isfwoundt` "around *thesama The end of this rope is"then passed under the road to the drum n, where it passes over the same,and is carried over the drum E.

Arople,r0, ismsecurdto roo Under track B, at the point where it leavesthe station A, isa track, p, which has a very steep incline. At thebottom of this track is arranged a bumper, q.

Grepresents a weighted car, which is adapted to travel on the track p.This car has a spring-bumper, fr, at its end, which strikes against thebumper q, thus preventing the car from being damaged by striking againstthe bumper g. The end of the rope ois shown secured to this car, andsaid car is shown in position at the top of the incline for a descent.

Just in rear of the drum E are secured to the road-bed two uprights orposts, s, while just in front of the drum a are arranged similaruprights or posts, s.

Secured to the rope o is a loop, t, which is held in an upright orvertical position by means of a weight, a, which is cast integraltherewith. The loop tis rigidly secured to the rope o, and when saidrope is in its normal position the said loop occupies a position `justin front of the uprights s, and bears against the same with its rearside. Upon the under rear side of the car is a hook, w, which is boltedto a cross or tie beam, x, about midway between the ends of the same,said hook being substantially V shape in form.

Apparatus of the same construction as that already described is arrangedat station A upon the track B.

In operation, supposing the car to be at station A', ready for a start,the car is moved forward and strikes the incline and rapidly descendsupon the track B', and in its descent gathers sufficient force ormomentum to carry it up the incline. The hook upon the under side of thecar strikes the loop upon the rope o, and the instant that the hook haspassed the loop and the said loop has regained its normal position theforward axle of the car has struck the pivoted arm or lever Z, which,through the medium of the rod m, raises the lower end of the pawl k fromengagement with the ratchetdisk j. The weighted ear now starts, and inso doing brings the loopinto engagement with the hook fw. Thus, as theweighted car descends, it unwinds the rope from the drum and draws thecar forward through the agency of the hook on the car and the loopengaging the same. The instant that the weighted car has arrived at thebottom of the incline the loop on the rope o will have arrived at theuprights s, adjacent to the drum E, and will stop at that point. Thepassenger-car, however, will have gathered sufficient momentum to havecarried it into station A/'and upon the turn-table, and is then turnedhalf around and is ready to make a descent on track B.

I have mentioned that the shaft of the drum E was squared and providedwith a crank or handle. By the use of this handle the drum may be turnedto draw the car to the top of the hill. The pawl is then set and theapparatus is in readiness for the car on its return trip.

Changes in the details of construction may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention; hence I wish to have itunderstood that I do not limitmyself to the exact construction andprecise arrangement of parts shown and described, but reserve to myselfthe right to make all such slight changes and alterations as mayproperly fall within the scope of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stationslocated any suitable distance apart, of tracks B B, each having a steepdescent and ascendingincline, and inclined tracks G, as shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination,with two stations,of tracks B B,con

necting the same, each of said tracks having a steep descent and anascending incline at their opposite ends, and a track, G, located ateac-h station, said tracks each having a steep incline, and runningbeneath the tracks B B', as set forth.

3. In aninclined elevated railroad, the combination,with two stations,of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end oi.'

said track, a rope connecting said drums, a weight attached to one endof said rope, and a loop adapted to engage a hook on the car, rigidlyattached to said rope, substantially as set forth.

4. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations,of a track con-v necting the same, drums arranged at one end of saidtrack, a rope connecting saidA drums,

IOS

a weight attached to one end of said rope,

and means,'substantially as described, for efl fecting the release ofthe weight, for the purpose set forth.

5. In an inclined elevated railroad, the coinbination, with twostations, of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end ofsaid track, a rope connecting said drums, a weighted car attached to oneend of said rope and adapted to travel on a steep incline, a looprigidly secured to said rope, a hook on the rear under side of a car,and means, substantially as described, to effect the releaseof theweighted car, for the purpose set forth.

6. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with two stations,of v a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end of saidtrack, a rope connecting said drums, a weight attached to one end ofsaid rope, a ratchet-disk on the drum E, a pivoted pawl to engage thesame, an arm or lever, l, a rod connecting. the pawl and lever, a looprigidly attached to said rope, and means, substantially IIO asdescribed, carried by the car for engaging said loop.

7. In an inclined elevated railroad, the combination, with twostations,'of a track connecting the same, drums arranged at one end ofsaid track, a rope connecting said drums,

a weight attached to one end of said rope,

aratchetdisk on the drum E, a pivoted pawl to engage thesame, an arm orlever, Z, a rod v In testimony that I claim the foregoing as 1oconnecting the pawl and lever, a loop rigidly my own I have heretoaffixed my signature attached to said rope, a hook secured to the inpresence of two witnesses. l

rear end of the car, and uprights s s', sub` t stantially as and for thepurpose set forth. LAWRENCE ODELL ROOT.

8. The combination, with the traction-rope,

kof a loop secured thereto, said loop having a y Witnesses: weightedend, whereby it is held in a vertical R. W. CUMMINGS,

' position, as set forth.

C. E. SCHAFFER.

